Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.R. No. 169 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to request that the Department of Human Services and Chief of the Hawaii County Police Department make public information on the disappearance of Peter Kema, Jr.

The Hawaii Youth Services Network testified in favor of this resolution. The Department of Human Services opposed this measure.

Your Committees find that there are questions raised by the sequence of events in the case of Peter Kema, Jr., and that the investigation into his disappearance was seriously hampered because of the delay by the Department of Human Services in releasing information to the public. The Department of Human Services states that it has since adopted changes in its administrative rules that allow for a more timely release of information in missing children cases as long as there is no court order specifically prohibiting the release of information.

However, your Committees find that there is still a lack of closure in the Kema case and has amended this resolution to request that the Department of Human Services, Hawaii County Police Department, and Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney provide a report on the status of the case to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chair and members of the House of Representatives Committees on Health, Human Services, and Judiciary, respectively, and to the Chair and members of the Senate Committees on Health, Human Services, and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, respectively.

Your Committees have also made technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 169, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary, in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 169, H.D. 1.